


Plain Sight

by VelocityKilljoy



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, I really don't even know where to start with tagging for this one, M/M, Michael Mell Saves The Day, but what's new there?, just a little bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23751697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelocityKilljoy/pseuds/VelocityKilljoy
Summary: Michael regularly sneaks into Jake's parties in what could loosely be called a disguise. He sees another side to Rich and isn't going to let it go without a fight, accidentally bypassing the entire plot of the musical in the process.I'm not exactly sure how to sum up everything else, but it sure was fun to write!
Relationships: Rich Goranski/Michael Mell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 83





	Plain Sight

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! I hope everyone is doing okay. I know the easter break just ended for some people (including me) and the digital education system is somehow worse than the normal one (go figure) so here's something that'll hopefully put a smile on your face for a bit (until your next class Zoom call, anyway)

Michael looked in the mirror, running a hand through his hair as he inspected his face. Jake’s party raged on, music pulsing through the house but all Michael was focused on was making sure he was composed and self-assured enough to at least look like he belonged. That way no one would ask questions, especially since no one recognised him. It was a wonder how easy it was to change how he looked completely by just changing his clothes, taking off his glasses and standing up straight. His weekly appearances at these parties made it abundantly clear how Clark Kent was able to moonlight as Superman without arousing suspicion. He left the bathroom, shoulders back and head up, blending seamlessly in with the crowd. 

As he passed by a couple making out against a wall, he chuckled to himself. That no longer fazed him as it had the first time he had snuck into one of these events. He remembered cringing back in horror and running away into the crowd, wondering why people enjoyed parties at all if all they were was drinking, making out with strangers, and stumbling around in time to shitty music. He followed the same path now that he had that night, wandering out onto Jake’s balcony. A smile blossomed on his face when he saw a figure already there, leaning against the barrier and bopping his head in time with the music. Rich Goranski, tormentor of losers and all-around dickhead. But Michael could see the bottle next to him, not empty but a little less than full, and he wasn’t afraid. He cleared his throat.

“Hey there, stranger.”

Michael laughed as a warm body barrelled into him. 

\--

Half an hour later, they were still on the balcony. Rich was different when he was drunk, Michael had realised months ago. Even when he was just tipsy or after less than half a drink, he became so much softer, kinder, less aggressive. It was like a switch had been pulled every time, and the boy who bullied Michael in school every day became the quiet, insightful stargazer who was currently curled up like a cat with his head resting on Michael's chest. Not that he actually knew it was Michael. Things were complicated sometimes.

They were both laughing, Rich’s giggles reverberating through Michael’s rib-cage, and Michael could feel the burning in his heart. He knew Rich felt it too. 

“I wish I didn’t have to be drunk to see you,” Rich murmured.

Michael wished he could comfort Rich properly, to tell him that it didn’t matter, or that he would make everything better, but he knew none of that was true. There was something Rich wouldn’t tell him, a secret that swung above them like the sword of Damocles, threatening to sever them from each other at any moment. Until he knew what it was, there was nothing Michael could do to help.

“You don’t have to be.”

“You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“I wish I did know how it worked.”

“I…” This was where the conversation always cut away from their mutual secrets. Rich would suddenly remember something he’d been meaning so say, or he would get up to get another drink, anything to avoid the subject. Michael was ready for that bitter rejection again but was surprised when Rich let out a deep sigh and stayed where he was. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I’d believe anything you said.” It hurt because they both knew it was true. Michael never told Rich his name, yet they’d bared their souls to each other every week. Rich turned his gaze to the sky, eyes tracing the constellations.

“I’m not myself when I’m sober.”

That much was obvious to Michael. Everything Rich did at school seemed like a veneer, and Michael considered himself lucky to be able to see the person underneath.

“We all have our facades, Rich. We’re teenagers and high school sucks. I don’t blame you for-“

“No. You don’t understand. It’s not like that.” Rich seemed to be getting frustrated and Michael was concerned as well as confused as to what Rich meant. “It’s this… you’re so not gonna believe me. Just hear me out until the end, okay? No questions until I’m done.” Michael nodded, encouraging Rich to continue. “I have this thing called a SQUIP. It’s a super-computer in my brain that I took as a pill in Freshman year. It’s this Japanese thing that’s supposed to make you popular or whatever. Anyway, it used to just tell me to do stuff to make me cool.”

“Used to?”

“No questions! I’m getting to that part.”

“Shit, sorry.”

Rich smiled wearily. “It’s fine. I’m stressed about it, is all. Anyway, when I first got it, it would tell me what to do and if I did something wrong then it would give me a little electric shock. But I’ve had it over a year now and it keeps getting worse. The shocks are more painful, and it won’t shut down when I tell it to anymore and if I say no to it, it can hijack my body. Like, complete control. It’s like I’m in the passenger seat but the windscreen is my eyes. The only way to get it to go away is by drinking but now it’s trying to stop me doing that and I don’t know what to do. I might not even be able to talk to you at the next party.”

“Oh.”

Michael was quiet for a bit. That was a lot to digest and it was frustrating that he didn’t know how to help. The idea that he might lose Rich to this SQUIP thing was also a bit emotional hit. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he only realised halfway through another sentence that Rich had started speaking again.

“- not even the worst thing though. Now it wants me to target other people. I think it’s like a virus and it wants me to spread it. I don’t want to. It’s trying to get me to sell one to that Jeremy guy. You know that guy, right? Tall, brown hair, hangs out with that other guy with the headphones and the hoodie?” Michael hummed in agreement, inwardly smiling at Rich’s unwitting description of him before the implications of what Rich was saying properly caught up.

If Rich offered Jeremy a SQUIP, there was no way Jeremy would refuse.

“I don’t want to. It would ruin his life like it ruined mine. But I don’t know how long I can hold it off for.”

Michael wrapped his arms tighter around Rich and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

“Can I help? There’s got to be something I can do.”

Shaking his head, Rich sighed.

“There is a way to turn it off but it’s dumb and I don’t even know how to find it.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Mountain Dew Red.”

Michael raised an eyebrow, unsure if he heard that right.

“Like actual Mountain Dew? And is that Code Red or Red Red? Because I can drive us down to 7-11 right now if it’s Code Red.”

“No, it’s Red Red. Discontinued in the 90s Red. I will never see a bottle in my life Red. That one.”

Huh. Michael tried to think back to last time he was in the backroom at Spencer’s. He hadn’t seen everything they had, only the Surge he’d been trying to buy, but there was a chance they had some Red there. If not, he was sure he could get them to order him some. They’d been more than happy to pull some strings to get him Ecto-cooler. He didn’t say all that though. It wasn’t guaranteed he’d be able to get any Mountain Dew Red and he wasn’t about to get Rich’s hopes up for nothing. 

“Okay. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll look around. We might not be able to fix this, but we can try, yeah? I’ll be here for you.”

The conversation dwindled after that, and they just sat there holding each other as they stared up at the stars. Tuneless songs with too much bass filtered through to the balcony, muffled and quiet, and Rich took another long sip from his beer before turning to kiss Michael. Rich’s lips were soft and the kiss was gentle, leaving Michael feeling giddy.

“It’s probably almost midnight,” Rich mumbled sadly as he pulled back, frown teasing at the corners of his mouth. Michael glanced at his watch, the numbers affirming Rich’s prediction. 

“Damn. I wish I could stay longer.” 

“Same, but I guess you’ve gotta get back to your car before it turns into a pumpkin or whatever.”

Michael snorted. 

“My car isn’t going to turn into a pumpkin, and I’m still not Cinderella.”

“Yeah, well that’s what I’m gonna call you until your curfew stops being midnight and you actually tell me who you are.”

“That’s… fair. I guess that makes you Prince Charming then?” Michael laughed, pushing himself to his feet. He held his hand out to help Rich up and they stood facing each other. 

“Oh, I am definitely Prince Charming!” Rich winked at Michael, flexing one arm to emphasise the point. Michael sniggered a little and leant down to kiss him again. “You should go. Don’t let me be the reason you get grounded, yeah?”

“Yeah… I just want to enjoy this though. If you’re right and your SQUIP is going to stop us seeing each other again, I want to say goodbye properly.”

Rich bit his lip, nodding, before pushing up onto his tiptoes to kiss Michael’s forehead, then his cheek, and finally his lips where he lingered for a few seconds. As he retreated, his hands reached to the back of his neck, and Michael watched as he unclasped the necklace he was wearing. Michael had seen it before. It was a string of tiny blue and red beads that Rich wore perpetually. But now he was taking it off and pressing it into Michael’s hand.

“Here, take this. That way if you ever decide you want to talk to me at school, I’ll know who you are.”

After one final hug, Rich nudged Michael towards the door. Ruffling Rich’s hair as he made his exit, Michael smiled, knowing that the alternative was giving into the newly forming cavity in his heart. 

That bittersweet smile remained on Michael’s lips all the way home.

\--

Monday morning: the single worst time to exist. At least, that’s what Michael was thinking as he wove through the huddles of students who were loitering in the hall. He was just glad that most of the school’s population was content in ignoring him. It was a fair trade off in his eyes, since he was more than happy to ignore them right back, headphones on to drown out the constant stream of yelling and gossip. As long as he kept his glasses on and his head low, nobody would bother him. 

He knew that was also why he got away with sneaking into Jake’s parties so easily. No one ever really saw him without his hoodie on, and there was never a time he went to school without his glasses, which he knew warped the shape of his eyes a little to anyone looking his way. Take him out of all that and no one would even think to compare him to the Michael they were familiar with. Not that he was going to be at another party anytime soon anyway.

Rich had been right. It had been a while since the last party Michael had wandered into and when he had managed to catch Rich’s eye, all he had gotten was a glare and a ‘watch it, loser’ before Rich had disappeared off into the crowd. That was fine, Michael understood, but he wasn’t going to pretend to himself that it didn’t hurt. After that, he thought it was best to stay away, the only advancement being his trip to Spencer’s to ask about the Mountain Dew. He was still waiting for a reply on that one.

Until then, however, he was okay with being just himself again. No pretending to be someone else, no more blending into the popular crowd. He wasn’t Superman or Cinderella and that suited him just fine.

Now his only issue was making sure Jeremy didn’t get into any more trouble than he usually did. Michael had taken Rich’s warning very seriously and tried his best to keep the two away from each other, pulling Jeremy away on detours whenever he was sure their paths would cross. It was working well so far, he thought, but it didn’t completely stop the bullying. Even if Michael tried to prevent Jeremy and Rich being alone together at any point, there wasn’t much he could do about what Rich did in the open.

As he rounded the corner to get to his locker, he inwardly groaned as he saw that exact thing. Jeremy was cowering back against the wall, hands poised defensively in front of himself as Rich leered at him. Michael sped up his pace, sliding smoothly through the gaps in the crowd until he reached his best friend. Jeremy caught his eye and send him a pleading look.

Sighing, Michael grabbed Jeremy’s arm and pulled him away from the lockers and past Rich, who turned around and glared. Those eyes were cold and sharp now, infinitely different from how warm they had seemed before. Michael grimaced and hoped that Rich would have the sense to stop the altercation right there. It seemed to be his day, as Rich didn’t look like he wanted to take it any further.

“You’re a fucking killjoy, Mell,” Rich growled, pushing past Michael.

“And you’re a jackass, Goranski.”

Michael turned to Jeremy to make sure he was okay, pretending his heart wasn’t aching in his chest. He was suddenly hyper-aware of Rich’s necklace against his skin, concealed underneath his hoodie, his darkest secret.

\--

It was a normal Wednesday afternoon after school. Jeremy was around and he and Michael were playing Apocalypse of the Damned. They had finally finished level 8 and now level 9 was kicking their asses. Everything was the same as it always was.

Until Michael took off his hoodie.

“Fuck, it’s hot in here.”

“Yeah well, maybe if you opened some windows for once it wouldn’t be so bad.” Jeremy glanced over at Michael, eyes falling on the neckline of his t-shirt. “Oh hey, that’s a cool necklace. How come I’ve never seen it before?”

Oh. Michael had forgotten about that. He shrugged, trying to ignore his inward wincing.

“I’ve had it a while. I guess it’s just always hidden under my hoodie.”

“Huh. Okay.”

Jeremy didn’t seem too fazed, and Michael knew he was safe for now. They kept going with their game, getting slaughtered by the oncoming hordes over and over again. As the game over screen appeared once more, Michael slumped back with a groan and dropped his controller on the floor.

“This is the worst!”

“Let’s just take a break. I needed to tell you about something anyway.”

Michael’s curiosity was peaked. He sat up immediately.

“Oh? Is it something to do with Christine?”

Jeremy laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No. It’s something super weird and you’ve got to promise not to tell anyone.”

“Uh. Sounds suspicious but sure… You didn’t kill someone did you?”

“What?! No! It’s… like… really strange though. So at school today, I was in the bathroom and Rich came in. He was being a dick but then he started acting really weird. It was like- I don’t even know. It was like he had a seizure or something but then he just got up like nothing happened and started talking about some drug he took.”

Michael’s blood ran cold. His mind went right back to the conversation he’d had with Rich.

‘It’s trying to get me to sell one to that Jeremy guy... I don’t want to. It would ruin his life like it ruined mine.’

“And I know this is going to sound absolutely insane but I guess I want to see what it’s all about. He says it’s some kind of high-tech super-computer chip pill and that it’ll help me be cooler. It’s $600 but if it works then it’s totally worth it.”

“No.”

Jeremy looked taken aback by Michael’s fast, completely serious response.

“What’s the deal, dude? This could be my big break! It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“He’s scamming you, for sure. I won’t let you hand over your life’s savings for some stupid pill.”

The frown on Jeremy’s face grew.

“Why would he scam me? All I need to do is give the guy who… torments me… 600… He’s totally scamming me. Dammit, I’m gonna be a loser until the end of the world.”

“Exactly, so just forget about it, yeah?” Michael said, trying to sound far more supportive and friendly than he felt. In reality, his heart was pounding in fear and he was silently praying that Jeremy wouldn’t try it anyway. “Besides, you’re like this Crystal Pepsi I bought on ebay that expired in 1996.”

Jeremy gave him a weary side-eye and said flatly, “Not safe for human consumption?”

“Better with age. Dude, you are cooler than a vintage cassette. It’s just that no one else but me knows that. Once they do, you’ll be the coolest guy around and until then, we’ve got each other.”

“Thanks, you always know what to say,” Jeremy replied, a small smile appearing on his face. 

Michael picked up his controller and shot a grin at his best friend.

“Another round?”

“Of course!”

Halfway through, Jeremy’s dad called. Reluctantly, they paused the game and Jeremy answered, leaving Michael to awkwardly listen to one side of a clearly tense conversation.

“-no dad, I’m having dinner at Michael’s… Because there’s actually food here?! Real food, cooked by humans, not a microwave… Fine… Yes… I’ll be back by ten, bye.”

Michael winced as Jeremy threw himself back down into his seat and groaned.

“Not good?”

“Is it ever? He’s been a mess ever since mom left and it sucks.”

“Hey, he’s trying his best.”

Jeremy looked at Michael incredulously. “Is he? Is he really? Because it sure doesn’t seem like it to me.”

“Jer-“

“Look, I don’t want that to be my future, okay? Sad and alone and…” A look of realisation dawned on Jeremy’s face. “Rich says his hook-up’s at Payless. What if we go there ourselves, just to see if his story checks out?”

That felt like a hammer straight to Michael’s skull. For the second time that hour, he could hear his pulse in his ears.

“No. No! Just forget about Rich and his shitty offer, okay?”

“Why? Can I not dream, Michael? This could change my life, yours too! What, are you afraid I’ll be too cool for you or something? Or do you just want me to be a loser for the rest of my life?”

Michael snapped.

“You don’t want it, Jer! It’ll ruin your life, don’t you see? There is no miracle cure for being a teenager. High school has no cheat code. It’s a scam, so just suck it up and carry on with your life because a SQUIP isn’t going to make anything better!”

There was no reply. The air was suffocating in its stillness and Michael’s words seemed to cling to it.

“Dude? You good?”

“I never told you what it was called.”

Oh. That was a huge oversight if Michael had ever seen one, but he knew it was cheap to try and wave it off. He sighed.

“I know.”

“So how do you… y’know… find out about it?”

Michael knew he could still lie. He could tell Jeremy one of his Warcraft friends had told him about it, or that he’d read about it on Reddit or any number of other things. He took the option to compromise and hope that Jeremy wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“Rich doesn’t want to sell you one. His SQUIP wanted him to but he’s been fighting it. He doesn’t even want his own anymore. Only, it’s been getting stronger and he doesn’t even have autonomy half the time. It can literally control his body if he disobeys it. I mean, before that, it wasn’t much better. It used to just shock him if he stepped out of line.”

“What the fuck?”

“I’m serious, Jer. You don’t want SQUIP.”

Jeremy was quiet again and Michael gave him time to process. A few seconds passed before Jeremy spoke again.

“That’s… a lot. I have so many questions. I’m not sure what to ask first, honestly. Thanks for telling me.”

“Of course, dude. You’re my best friend. I’m not just going to let you walk blindly into a huge mistake.”

“Right. Um, how did you get Rich to tell you all of that?”

“The SQUIP shuts down if you get drunk,” Michael replied, only realising his mistake as the words left his mouth. Oh fuck.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. “When did you get a chance to talk to Rich when he was drunk?”

Nothing came to mind fast enough for Michael to lie believably. He froze and Jeremy looked at him expectantly. Knowing it was better to just tell the truth, Michael sighed.

“Alright, fine. I’ve been going to Jakes parties.”

“What? Since when?”

“The last few months.”

The look on Jeremy’s face was one of complete shock and bewilderment.

“Months? And you didn’t even tell me? How did you get invited? No offense, but why would Jake invite you and not me too?”

“Woah, woah. I never said anything about being invited. And I can explain.” Well, technically there was an explanation, but Michael felt off about giving it. It really wasn’t his business outing Rich to anyone. But Jeremy was clearly hurt, and Michael knew he would be. That’s why he hid the whole thing, so maybe he could twist the story enough to satisfy Jeremy but leave him in the dark about everything else.

“Can you?”

Michael felt the venom in Jeremy’s words like a punch in the stomach. 

“I was only going to go once. Then I was gonna work out how to get you in too but…” Fuck. Michael didn’t know how to phrase this without doing irreparable damage. Ambiguity, he knew, was key, but achieving that was going to a challenge. “But then I got selfish. I knew you’d hate it at those parties if I took you along and abandoned you and I planned on bringing you and sticking together. It’s just that I met someone. And I knew that if I went to another one I’d see them again, that I’d want to see them again, and that I’d end up leaving you alone if I saw them. I didn’t want to do that to you, but I really felt something, and I knew they felt something too. So, I kept going back alone. I’m sorry. It was kinda shitty of me. But yeah, Rich was there too and that’s how I managed to talk to him when he was drunk.”

Jeremy’s face flicked through a range of expressions, before settling on one that Michael really couldn’t decipher. Maybe confusion and disgruntlement?

“Oh. Well then.” That wasn’t exactly the response Michael was hoping for but it would do. He stayed quiet for a few more seconds, hoping Jeremy would elaborate, and breathing a sigh of relief when he did. “Thanks for not abandoning me at a party, I guess. And does this mean I get to tease you about your crush too?”

The tension in the room dissipated as Jeremy smiled tentatively, a sign Michael knew meant they were good. 

“Totally. Only, I’ve actually made out with mine so…”

They both laughed and, within a few minutes, they were back to playing AoTD, in sync once more.

\--

Later, once the sky had darkened and Michael and Jeremy had finished doing the dishes after dinner, it was time for Jeremy to go home. Michael walked with him to the door, talking strategy for the next time they attempted level 9. 

“Anyway, we’ll work it out. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

Jeremy just hummed in agreement, and Michael raised an eyebrow at his quietness. He tried to follow Jeremy’s line of sight, which appeared to be fixed somewhere on Michael’s shirt, but he couldn’t work out quite what the matter was. 

“Rich.”

“What?”

Jeremy’s hand came up and tapped lightly on the necklace that Michael was still wearing.

“It’s his, isn’t it?”

The implications hung in the air, and Michael knew there was nothing he could say that would stop Jeremy believing what he himself knew to be true.

“Yeah. Yeah it is.”

“Do you really like him?” Jeremy said gravely. Michael nodded and Jeremy returned the gesture as he moved towards the door. “He better treat you right, or I’m gonna kick his ass.”

Michael laughed.

“Sure you will.”

“Shut up, Micah, I am 100% muscle and you know it.”

“Okay, noodle arms, whatever you say. Now hit the road, I don’t want your dad grounding you for getting home late.”

As Michael watched Jeremy walk away, he smiled. He really couldn’t ask for a better best friend.

\--

The corridors were rapidly emptying as students began to flood out of the doors and into freedom. Michael was at the back of the pack, not too bothered about being anywhere anytime soon. He didn’t have to wait for Jeremy because he was at play rehearsal, so he was free to take as much or as little time as he wanted. Instead of rushing, he took his time, letting himself get lost in the music he was playing through his headphones. 

It was just getting to his favourite part of the song when suddenly the music cut off as his headphones where unceremoniously knocked off. Laughter rang out, filling the hall and making Michael’s blood boil. He could tell exactly who it was and he clenched his jaw to stop the anger seeping out. He turned around to see Rich and Jake walking away in the opposite direction, still chuckling. Michael’s restraint was fraying all too quickly and he let himself reach underneath the neckline of his hoodie.

“Hey Rich!” he yelled, voice echoing in the empty space. Rich stopped dead and swivelled around to face Michael.

“Got a problem, flamer?”

Michael cringed at the insult, trying not to let it damage his resolve. 

“You dropped something,” he said, completely deadpan. Rich stalked closer and held out his hand expectantly.

Michael dropped the necklace into it, eyes fixed to Rich’s face as he awaited a reaction. It was almost instantaneous, the alarmed widening of his eyes and catching of his breath as he stared down at it. Jake had joined Rich again and was looking over his shoulder at the necklace.

“Oh shit! It thought you lost that.”

Rich grunted out a “me too,” eyes darting up to Michael’s face. Michael had, by this point, taken off his glasses and was feigning cleaning off a smudge. He glanced at Rich and shot him a grim smile before replacing his glasses on his face. 

“Have fun at drama practice.”

Bitter words still on his tongue, Michael walked away, pulling his headphones back over his ears to drown out his thoughts. He knew it was a bit cruel and he felt bad seeing Rich panic like that, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that there was a package waiting for him in the backroom at Spencer’s.

\--

Rich hadn’t stopped thinking about Michael since last Thursday. The whole weekend had passed, and half the week, yet he still couldn’t think about anything else. His SQUIP glided along beside him, arms folded in irritation. 

“Let it go, Richard. I don’t understand why you’re so pent up about this.”

“Leave me the fuck alone.”

“And you’ll do what? If I leave, you’ll flop, Richard. Face it, no one likes you without me. The second I leave, you’ll be a loser again. Oh, wait! You still are one. You need me because I made you, Richard. You wouldn’t be half the person you are now without me. Don’t forget that, you ungrateful brat. If it wasn’t for me you’d still be hanging around Michael at parties and, let me tell you, what I saw between you two is enough to drop you out of the hierarchy altogether. He’s an issue and I can’t allow you to dwell on him anymore.”

“You only think that because I told him how to get rid of you.”

“Really?” The SQUIP laughed. “Do you really think I’m scared of him? You’re ridiculous, Richard. I’d never let you near anything he’s touched. You’re never getting rid of me.”

Trying his hardest not to let the words sink in, Rich carried on walking, hoping to get to the cafeteria without landing in any trouble. 

“Jake, on your left. Fist bump,” his SQUIP chimed in again, and Rich followed its orders like clockwork. 

Jake smiled brightly and handed him a water bottle. Rich raised an eyebrow before realising that it was his and that he’d left it behind in one of his lessons.

“Thanks, bro.”

“No problem. That guy… Jerry? He told me you left in English.”

Rich nodded, uncapping the bottle. His SQUIP muttered something and he subtly shot it a questioning look.

“Richard, Jeremy isn’t in your English class.”

Raising the bottle to his lips, Rich shrugged.

“So?”

“So, he’d have to have been given it by someone else. He only has one friend, Richard, so it could only have been Michael, yes?”

“And?”

Rich realised exactly what his SQUIP meant as soon as the liquid hit his tongue. Instead of plain water like he’d been expecting, it was something that tasted like flat, lukewarm fruit twist Fanta mixed with dish-soap. His heart was racing. He knew exactly what this had to be. Despite the taste, he swallowed the drink, cringing at its staleness but savouring the curses his SQUIP let out. 

That was when the agonising pain set in and, within a few seconds of falling to the ground screaming, everything went black.

\--

When he woke up in the nurse’s office and indeterminate amount of time later, he almost expected to see his SQUIP still there. Except, it wasn’t and he was completely alone, save for the nurse sitting on the other side of the room typing something on an old computer. He also expected to be in a lot more pain than he was, only experiencing a dull ache in his muscles as he sat up. His head still hurt quite a bit though, the headrush hitting him particularly hard but other than that he seemed fine. 

The nurse noticed his movement and came over to him, filling him in on what had happened.

“Your friend said you were fine one minute and then the next you were having a seizure. We wanted to send you to the ER but were informed that this happens to you occasionally. Do you have a history of seizures that the school should know about?”

“I… think I’m alright?” It was more of a question than an assured answer as he thought back to all the other times his SQUIP had almost electrocuted him, and the nurse narrowed her eyes sceptically. “It’s not a big issue, I promise. Can I go now?”

The nurse sighed and wrote something down in a notepad she was holding before nodding.

“It’s almost the end of the day. I would suggest collecting your things and going straight home. Here,” she said, handing him a slip of paper. “You can take an official note.”

Thank fuck for the lacklustre healthcare at this school, or he’d probably have to wait for a parent to pick him up and that would be a whole other can of worms. Rich nodded and thanked her, leaving the room with a spring in his step. He didn’t go straight home, though. Instead, he stopped by one of the restrooms and splashed his face with water, trying to compound his confidence as well as pass the time until the final bell. As soon as it rang, he felt a slight bit of anxiousness well up, but he pushed it down, still riding the high of his new freedom.

He left the bathroom and was immediately swamped by the swarm of kids trying to escape the building. Usually he would be more than happy to join them but today he was on a mission. Fighting against the flow of the crowd, Rich searched single-mindedly for a specific face, a flash of red, blocky black letters inscribed into white plastic, until he finally saw Michael. He was standing at his locker talking to Jeremy, back turned to where Rich was standing. Feeling his heartrate pick up, Rich started sprinting towards Michael, grin taking over his face. 

“Michael!”

Michael had half a second to turn around and realise what was happening before Rich launched himself into his arms.

“Michael Mell, you are perfect! You’re an angel! What did I do to deserve you? Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

People were definitely staring. Rich wasn’t surprised. He had, after all, made quite the scene. Michael didn’t seem to mind though, laughing as Rich rambled his gratitude. Jeremy gave a little salute, clearly getting the message that this was an important moment, and made himself scarce.

“So, it worked then?” Michael asked, reciprocating Rich’s enthusiastic embrace.

“Totally! It’s gone, completely gone. I’m so happy right now, you have no idea.”

Michael’s lips curved into a fond smile. “I think I have some idea…”

“Michael can I…” Rich looked up into Michael’s dark eyes, getting lost in the way they creased up at the edges when he smiled, how they seemed to light up when he was happy. “Can I kiss you?”

“Fuck yes, I thought you’d never ask.”

So, Rich kissed him, just as tenderly as he had on the balcony. Now, though, there was nothing to run from, nothing to be afraid of. Any fear he had of judgement from his peers melted away as he felt Michael’s lips on his.

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely hope that was at all legible and that, if so, you enjoyed it! I had fun writing it (or at least more fun than I'm having with my Actually Quite Important Art History Essay which is due on Thursday... yikes...)
> 
> Have a great day everyone!
> 
> (if you want updates on anymore of the stuff I'm working on, I'm using @eightyfour-sobbing-horses on Insta as an update account, so check that out)


End file.
